Haru's Wish
by Grignard
Summary: Haru grows up and lives her life constantly thinking of another. Can she find a way to return to him? BaronHaru


_ If someone could give me a brief tutorial on how to upload chaptered stories I'd be most appreciative and would write many more stories... The Cat Returns does not belong to me but to Hayao Miyazaki and the wonderful people at Studio Ghibli.  
_

After her magical night in the Cat Kingdom, Haru was a changed woman. She no longer came to school late, and carried herself with confidence as she walked around school. More and more people began to notice her, and she began to grow in popularity and even gained boyfriends, despite her odd occasional habit to pet stray cats.

Machida had asked her out one day after school and she accepted. Her best friend, Hiromi, excitedly asked her if she was happy. Haru would only shrug saying that she just believed it would happen one day.

One night, as she was crossing the street going home from the library, she saw two cats and three kittens calmly sitting in a row in front of her house. Warily she approached them until she saw the familiar eyes of the Cat Prince Lune.

"King," she corrected herself mentally.

She cheerfully bent down to embrace Yuri, who still looked as beautiful as ever. Yuri smiled proudly and introduced her kittens to Haru.

"This is Muta," gesturing to a white one, "Baron," a small tawny kitten, "and Haru," she added. Haru bent down looking at the kitten, and observed its silky brown coat and confident smirk.

"She's just like you," King Lune added. "Always getting into trouble, but has such a certainty in her actions." Haru laughed out loud. She chatted quietly with the royal family for a couple of minutes. After a short silence, Yuri looked at King Lune for a moment.

She cleared her throat nervously, "Baron has been by to visit the Cat Kingdom."

Haru nearly fell over. With a sad smile she asked how he was. Still the same, but a little more preoccupied was the answer. He spoke of her often though. Haru smiled. She had seen him once before, the day her mother became deathly ill and had to go to the hospital.

Refusing to stay at her uncle and aunt's house, Haru found her way to the Cat Bureau and spent the night at Baron's. It was a little uncomfortable sprawled out over much of the living room floor, but Baron had told her that Muta was all to glad to move the furniture around. Muta of course answered with an exasperated grunt. Haru knew that Baron could do nothing to cure her mother, but being in his, Muta, and Toto's company had cheered her up immensely. She had left the next morning with a thermos full of his specially blended tea, to remain by her mother's side.

Her mother made a full recovery and Haru returned home, but she was always thinking about Baron. When she saw him, she of course, had aged a couple of years, but the Baron remained eternally youthful. She grew sad that one day knowing that she would die yet he would continue living forever.

When King Lune had to return to his duties, Haru embraced them all and promising a visit to the kingdom soon, she wished them a safe journey.

Years past; she had begun to date Machida more seriously now. She had forced him to learn how to waltz when she found out that her senior dance was going to be a masquerade ball. She had found a blue mask, cape, and top hat with a white feather for him, and a yellow dress for her. Her outfit wasn't quite the same as the one in the Cat Kingdom, but it would do for a dance.

She had waltzed so beautifully that night, despite Machida's "meow-sy" dancing, that everyone swore that she was in another world… literally. After graduating her local school, she entered college and excelled in all of her academic classes. She performed numerous community service activities, helping anyone with their problems, no matter how trivial they were. She visited the Cat Kingdom after she graduated to catch up on old times with Lune and Yuri. She married Machida, had one son, and lived to a very old age, which was full of adventures.

As she lay in the hospital bed, her husband on one side of her, and son on the other, she could feel her life ebb out of her. She could remember Baron's words to her, "Always believe in yourself. Do this and no matter where you are, you will have nothing to fear." Closing her eyes, she began to wish with all of her heart, and slowly she let out her last breath…

"Haru…Haru…Haru, wake up."

Haru slowly opened her eyes. Seeing the familiar yellow wallpaper, and green trimming, she found herself lying on a large red couch and smiled quietly.

"He still has the same exquisite taste," she thought. Turning her head, her eyes met concerned emerald green ones. There in front of her knelt Baron von Gikkingen, still in his crisp white collared shirt, red vest, and blue tie. His top hat and coat were hung up carefully on his hat rack next to his bookcase.

"Haru, are you alright?" Baron questioned her.

"Alright? I'm better than alright! This is great!" she exclaimed jumping up and down. Touching her face, she could feel that the wrinkles were gone, her joints in her hands no longer ached and that she could walk with a straight back again. Giddy with delight, she let out a yell of happiness.

"Are you quite done?" Baron said amusingly and with a small smirk. "Would you care to explain how I found you outside on my doorstep?"

Laughing, Haru composed herself and sat down on the couch. Years ago she had arranged for a friend to make her a figurine, a complete likeness of herself in every detail. She knew that Baron and Toto were creations that were made by people who put all of their heart into the work and then were given a soul. Haru believed that along with that figurine, and by truly believing that it could happen, she could will her soul into her replica.

She touched Baron's face gently, marveling at the softness of his fur. "I did this for you," she murmured gently. Seeing his surprise she continued. "I knew that we could never be together while I was alive so I made this plan with Lune and Yuri's help. I want to help people just like what you do. I've…I've always loved you Baron," she finished softly.

Fearing his reaction, she closed her eyes. It wasn't until she felt his arms wrap around her and his whispered, "I love you too, Haru" did she bury her face into his chest and burst into tears. He kissed her gently, which was exceptionally better than what Haru had ever imagined and they spent the night sitting on the couch catching up.

Muta lumbered back into the Cat Bureau, groaning softly. "I'm getting way too old for this," he grumbled quietly. Sitting in his chair beside Baron's home, he cast a quick glance at the little figurine. Alarmed he did a double take.

There Baron stood, with his top hat and left arm holding his cane crossed against his chest, but on his left, arm-in-arm with him, stood the figurine of a human girl in a white summer dress smiling happily.

"Haru?" Muta muttered softly. Sighing, he knew he was going to hear about it when the sun went down, and slowly lumbered to his chair, sat down and read his newspaper.

_Please Review!_

_Grignard _


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